Del Rio won't be denied another head coaching shot

The citizens of Jacksonville applauded when the Jaguars fired him 11 games into the 2011 season. Now they might rename the city after him. Maybe they already have.

Del Rio is the former All-America linebacker at USC, the same guy who used to catch Randy Johnson during baseball season.

Also the same guy who coached the Jaguars for almost nine seasons. His record was three games below .500. He went to the playoffs twice. His Jaguars even won a playoff game at Pittsburgh.

"Those years are starting to look a lot better," said Brian Billick, who coached Del Rio in Minnesota and then hired him as an assistant in Baltimore, where the Ravens won the Super Bowl.

"I knew he wouldn't be out of a job long," said Denver secondary coach Cory Undlin, who was on Del Rio's staff in Jacksonville.

In fact, Del Rio became Denver's defensive coordinator in 2012. The Broncos have won 26 of 32 regular-season games since then and, as you might have heard, will play Seattle in the Super Bowl.

The Jaguars? They are 8-28, post Del Rio, with two coaches.

"I learned a lot about what I might do again," Del Rio said here Tuesday, and presumably the Jaguars did, too.

There is likely to be an "again." Had the Broncos missed the playoffs, Del Rio might be USC's coach today. Athletic Director Pat Haden interviewed him during Denver's bye week.

"We just weren't able to get it timed up," Del Rio said. "The fact that we were still playing lessened the possibilities. There was no chance for us, with me in the middle of all this work. Still, it (USC) is a special place. I still keep my eye on what they do."

Del Rio even returned to the Big Chair in November, when head coach John Fox started feeling strange on a North Carolina golf course and had to visit the hospital.

He had a heart valve replaced. It sounds like something Tony Stewart's crew could have expedited, but Fox missed four weeks and Del Rio went 3-1.

"Three of the four were road games," Del Rio said, "as I have pointed out to him."

It was actually a San Diego-Kansas City-New England-Kansas City gantlet. The only loss was 34-31 at New England, when the Broncos led 24-0 at the half.

Del Rio was back in the coaches' booth on Dec. 12, when the Broncos had their only flirtation with crisis. San Diego walked in and smacked Denver, 27-20, by hogging the ball for 38:41.

At the next defensive meeting, Del Rio unveiled a calendar for the next six weeks. It featured practice schedules, off days, everything. It even had Super Bowl Media Day, for Jan. 28.

"It was a map showing us what was going to happen," Undlin said. "But when Jack got out that laser pointer, he put it right on today. He was showing us what was out there if we just took care of what was in front of us."

Denver has given up 13, 14, 17 and 16 points since. The Patriots had the ball for 24:15 in the AFC Championship Game and were held to 320 yards.

It was the old head coach, coming out.

"We needed our focus to click in a little tighter," Del Rio said.

With all the Peyton Manning-Richard Sherman babble, this Super Bowl might turn on what Del Rio's defense can do to the puttering Seattle offense. The Broncos ranked 22th in points allowed, 19th in yards.

"A lot of them were garbage yards," Del Rio said, "and garbage points. It wasn't a true measure of how we played."

"And you lost Von Miller, Kevin Vickerson...." someone said.

"Keep going," Del Rio interrupted.

Miller, the All-Pro pass rusher, was suspended for the first four games and then tore an ACL. The Broncos then lost linemen Vickerson and Derek Wolfe, safety Rahim Moore and cornerback Chris Harris.

Somehow they got better.

"I wanted to establish some principles," Del Rio said. "Your front seven has to apply pressure without having to blitz. We had to get bigger. Vickerson was trying to play up there at 285. He had to get bigger in the rear end, had to get beefier.

"We talked about toughness from the first day. You really have to do that from the first day every year. We were in pads as much as we could possibly be."

It looked familiar to Billick.

"Jack coaches like he played, beyond his physical ability," Billick said. "He'll be a head coach again someday."

No reason to rush. Not when you're just a few 0-0 seasons away from a statue.